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The Gem & Mineral Council

The Gem & Mineral Council is a support organization for the Gem & Mineral Collection and Exhibit. It also supports the research on new minerals and on diamonds, which enables unveiling the secrets of the Deep Earth.

Gem and Mineral Hall

The 6,000-square-foot Gem and Mineral Hall was opened in May of 1978. Another 1,500 square-foot gallery titled Gemstones and their Origins was added in May of 1985. Together they comprise one of the finest exhibits of gems and minerals in the world. In 1989, Los Angeles magazine rated it as the finest permanent museum exhibition of any kind in the Los Angeles area.

Mineral Sciences

About Mineral Sciences

Rocks and the minerals are the building blocks of the Earth. Modern technology, and our society as a whole, depends upon rocks and minerals as raw materials. In fact, rocks and minerals have supported the development of societies and civilizations throughout human history. The scientific study of rocks and minerals is crucial to understanding the Earth’s dynamic geologic processes, and illuminates new and better ways to both utilize and conserve our natural resources. Gemstones have been prized since antiquity for adornment and as symbols of status and wealth. Meteorites are some of the oldest pieces of our solar system and are keys to unraveling its origin.

The Mineral Sciences Department curates a world-class collection that includes minerals, rocks, gems, ores, and meteorites and conducts research focusing on furthering scientific understanding of these materials. The department actively maintains the Museum's world renowned Hall of Gems and Minerals and provides public programming through the Museum's Gem & Mineral Council.These activities and research are reported through our facebook page and blog.